Bama raising the bar for ’06 gymnastics season

Published: Friday, January 6, 2006 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, January 5, 2006 at 11:00 p.m.

Start with four proven seniors. Throw in a couple of Olympians. Add a star-studded supporting cast.

Put it all together and it looks like a recipe for success for the University of Alabama gymnastics team. The question, as it always is for a program with four national championships to its credit, is just how successful will the Crimson Tide be in 2006?

Alabama, ranked No. 4 in the preseason coaches’ poll, will find out a lot about where it stands in the national title hunt tonight in Baton Rouge, La., when it opens the season against five other ranked opponents in the Super Six Challenge.

“Our goal doesn’t change," Alabama head coach Sarah Patterson said. “Our goal is to be there at the end with a chance to win a championship.

“That’s why these ladies came here. While that’s our goal, it’s just way too early. We’re too young and there’s too much growth that has to happen between now and the end of March to know where we’ll be."

Alabama’s hopes will be built around a group of five seniors that includes three-time NCAA event champion Ashley Miles, who won seven individual all-around titles last season. Mari Bayer, Dana Filetti, Dana Pierce and Rachael Delahoussaye round out a senior class that is determined to bring home some hardware to commemorate its final season of collegiate competition.

Alabama finished second to rival Georgia in last year’s national championship meet. The seniors want to make sure they don’t finish second to anyone this time around.

“When we get together that’s pretty much what we’re talking about," Miles said. “We want that ring.

“Any senior class, you’d be lying if you said your body didn’t hurt, but that’s what it comes down to. Who wants it more? Who can overcome that?

“The word to describe our senior class is excited. We’re excited to get that last shot."

The upperclassmen will be outnumbered by the freshmen. Eight newcomers will provide an element of enthusiasm and an injection of new talent for the Tide. At the same time, it gives Alabama a roster half filled with gymnasts who lack collegiate experience.

Melanie Banville, a member of Canada’s 2004 Olympic team, will start out on three events this season, as will two-time U.S. Championships participant Brittany Magee, who joined the team in December when she opted to enroll in college rather than try to compete internationally for the United States. Cassie Martin, another freshman, will also compete on three events .

Terin Humphrey, a two-time Olympic silver medalist who won the individual uneven parallel bars title at last year’s NCAA title meet as a freshman, will be the Tide’s only all-arounder at the start of the season.

“She has struggled this fall based on the fact that she has never, ever taken any time off before," Patterson said. “I think she had to do that. She will need a few meets before she hits her stride."

The challenge for Alabama will be to create team chemistry with a roster that is both bottom- and top-heavy. With five seniors and eight freshmen, there aren’t many sophomores and juniors to bridge the gap.

“You take what you learned before and you apply it here," Banville said. “It’s starting from scratch with the team thing. The seniors let us know what we should be doing. They guide us a lot.

“We all know [the seniors] want to win a national championship. We do, too. We’re all working toward that."

Patterson isn’t expecting instant results. She points out that Miles had surgery on her right ankle in the offseason, that Bayer is still hobbled by a broken toe and that Filetti sprained both ankles in preseason workouts.

“It made for a most unusual fall," the coach said. “[Miles and Bayer] were so limited in practice. It changes the dynamic a little bit.

“We have 16 gymnasts and half are freshmen. Obviously they’re going to compete on numerous events and they haven’t been in [collegiate] competition yet.

“This year more than other years is a year where we’ll be a little slow out of the starting blocks. Our success will depend on how much we improve each week."

The 2006 season will be a colorful one for the Tide. Alabama will wear pink leotards for its first home meet on Jan. 20 against Florida to raise breast cancer awareness. For the final home meet of the season, Alabama will break out green leotards for the first time to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on March 17 against Auburn.

“It’s something for the fans," Patterson said.

Reach Tommy Deas at tommy.deas@tuscaloosanews.com or at (205) 722-0224.

<p>Start with four proven seniors. Throw in a couple of Olympians. Add a star-studded supporting cast.</p><!-- Nothing to do. The paragraph has already been output --><p>Put it all together and it looks like a recipe for success for the University of Alabama gymnastics team. The question, as it always is for a program with four national championships to its credit, is just how successful will the Crimson Tide be in 2006?</p><p>Alabama, ranked No. 4 in the preseason coaches’ poll, will find out a lot about where it stands in the national title hunt tonight in Baton Rouge, La., when it opens the season against five other ranked opponents in the Super Six Challenge.</p><p>Our goal doesn’t change," Alabama head coach Sarah Patterson said. Our goal is to be there at the end with a chance to win a championship.</p><p>That’s why these ladies came here. While that’s our goal, it’s just way too early. We’re too young and there’s too much growth that has to happen between now and the end of March to know where we’ll be."</p><p>Alabama’s hopes will be built around a group of five seniors that includes three-time NCAA event champion Ashley Miles, who won seven individual all-around titles last season. Mari Bayer, Dana Filetti, Dana Pierce and Rachael Delahoussaye round out a senior class that is determined to bring home some hardware to commemorate its final season of collegiate competition.</p><p>Alabama finished second to rival Georgia in last year’s national championship meet. The seniors want to make sure they don’t finish second to anyone this time around.</p><p>When we get together that’s pretty much what we’re talking about," Miles said. We want that ring.</p><p>Any senior class, you’d be lying if you said your body didn’t hurt, but that’s what it comes down to. Who wants it more? Who can overcome that?</p><p>The word to describe our senior class is excited. We’re excited to get that last shot."</p><p>The upperclassmen will be outnumbered by the freshmen. Eight newcomers will provide an element of enthusiasm and an injection of new talent for the Tide. At the same time, it gives Alabama a roster half filled with gymnasts who lack collegiate experience.</p><p>Melanie Banville, a member of Canada’s 2004 Olympic team, will start out on three events this season, as will two-time U.S. Championships participant Brittany Magee, who joined the team in December when she opted to enroll in college rather than try to compete internationally for the United States. Cassie Martin, another freshman, will also compete on three events .</p><p>Terin Humphrey, a two-time Olympic silver medalist who won the individual uneven parallel bars title at last year’s NCAA title meet as a freshman, will be the Tide’s only all-arounder at the start of the season.</p><p>She has struggled this fall based on the fact that she has never, ever taken any time off before," Patterson said. I think she had to do that. She will need a few meets before she hits her stride."</p><p>The challenge for Alabama will be to create team chemistry with a roster that is both bottom- and top-heavy. With five seniors and eight freshmen, there aren’t many sophomores and juniors to bridge the gap.</p><p>You take what you learned before and you apply it here," Banville said. It’s starting from scratch with the team thing. The seniors let us know what we should be doing. They guide us a lot.</p><p>We all know [the seniors] want to win a national championship. We do, too. We’re all working toward that."</p><p>Patterson isn’t expecting instant results. She points out that Miles had surgery on her right ankle in the offseason, that Bayer is still hobbled by a broken toe and that Filetti sprained both ankles in preseason workouts.</p><p>It made for a most unusual fall," the coach said. [Miles and Bayer] were so limited in practice. It changes the dynamic a little bit.</p><p>We have 16 gymnasts and half are freshmen. Obviously they’re going to compete on numerous events and they haven’t been in [collegiate] competition yet.</p><p>This year more than other years is a year where we’ll be a little slow out of the starting blocks. Our success will depend on how much we improve each week."</p><p>The 2006 season will be a colorful one for the Tide. Alabama will wear pink leotards for its first home meet on Jan. 20 against Florida to raise breast cancer awareness. For the final home meet of the season, Alabama will break out green leotards for the first time to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on March 17 against Auburn.</p><p>It’s something for the fans," Patterson said.</p><p>Reach Tommy Deas at tommy.deas@tuscaloosanews.com or at (205) 722-0224.</p>